Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-05-13
LOCAL.
A GRAVE CHARGE!

OF A WE'LL KNOW VII
ZEN ON THE ACCUSATION OF DEALING
IN BOGUS PAPER-A LONG SESSION AND
STRONG ARRAY OF COUNsEL-THE
usrrEp SENT TO THE GRAND JURY
FOR ITS ACTION.
About two months ago the carriage firm
# Clinedinst & BodelI failed, and the
nembers of it fled from the city. After
,hev left it was discovered that they mad
issued a good deal of bogus paper, and
had also, it was alleged, committed forge-
~. They had been here for nine years.
and for several years Mr.. James Is. NC
Comb, well known citizen, had ASSIST
I'd them and endorsed gauch OF their
paper. Some of the endorsements he de-
clared to be genuine. and some forged
But the genuine endorsements were suff-
Gent to deeply involve him, and two weeks
ago he made an assignment OF part OF his
property to his creditors, and the remain
der he settled on lady whom he married
on the day the deed was recorded. On
his return from his wedding trip, Satur-
day evening last. he was arrested on
warrant gotten out by Constable Geo. A.
Hutchinson charging him with ''fraudu-
lently and feloniously obtaining money
from Jere Murphy" The sum was $ll2,50
and Mr.. Murphy had paid Mr.. McComb that
LOT scs1s note signed 'sM. s. Strain for
s115 and endorsed by Clinedinst & Bodell
and by J. X. McComb. The accused was
taken before the Mayor that evening and
bailed to appear Monda morning in 81 600,
with 6. M. Cochran, Jr., his surety. Attic
examination Monday the accused was rep
resented by G.. M. Cochran, Jr., 7. 9. Ell
der, W. E. Craig and Charles F. Nelson,
and the Commonwealth by A. G. B raxton.
The defence held that it was prosecu
tion instigated by disappointed creditors
to intimidate the accused, and misuse Of
the power of the Com mon wealth; and the
Commonwealth IS Attorney held that the
accused had guilty knowledge OF the bogus
notes issued by Clinedist & Bodell and
had shared with them the profits arising
from disposing of them. The following
is the testimony given:
Jere Murphy. saoorn.-Identified the note
for $115, signed M. S. Strain, dated Oct.
IS, 1886, payable at 80 days, to Clinedinst
q Bodell, and endorsed by them and by j.
K. McComb, as one that he bought from
McComb for $112.5O. McComb came to me
with the note and said he knew the signer,
who was Mrs. M. S. Strain, and that the
note was all right. This was few days
| days after the date of the note. He said
| she was widow lady living at Browns
: burg and rich. refused to buy the note
| at first and he went away and then came
| back and said I would do him favor if
| would buy it. I let him have $112.50 for
it. I would not have bought it except
that he told me he knew the lady and
knew the note was all right. have never
| been able to find Mrs. M. s. Strain. I
wrote up to her and my letter was return
ned from Brownsburg by the postmaster,
saying no such person was known there.
Even then / thought there might have
| been mistake, land did not feel sure until
the sheriff went there to serve a summons
on her and could find no person of that
| name.
- Cross Era4nimed When McComb first
| came about the note told him l wanted
| to use my money tor something else. He
said should buy this note and if L after
wards needed money l could get check
from him. H said the lady would be down
before the note was due and pay 1t. I
wouldn't have bought the note if he had
not told me that the sgner was all right
and that he would see it paid. He didn't
tell me the note was for them but infer
red he wanted the money for Clinedinst s.
Bodell. Bodell came up to me afterwards
and asked me if McComb had gotten the
money for the note. l thought McC. s
credit was first class and would have let
him have money on the note if it had had
no other name but his on 1t. I UNDER
stood that he got the money for Clinedlnst
q Bodell-I think he told me so, though I
wouldn't like to swear to that. l had
bought other paper of Clinedinst & Bodell's
one note from Bodell, Christmas. That
hadn't McC.'s name On it. l had two
other notes of G. & B., endorsed by
McComb. They ran out without being
protested, but McC. endorsed other notes
to save me from loss. 1 had several trans
actions with McComb-fve in all. I now
hold five notes of e. s. B., endorsed to
McComb and by him. Two of them got
from q. & B. and the other three from
McComb. [ took all of the notes because
NICE. s name was on them, and wouldn't
have taken them without it. If he had
told me he didn't know M. S. Strain. but
had put his name on the note, 1 should
have taken it all the same. believed him
good for the amount.
am not at all responsible for the war
rant being issued in this case Wouldn't
have taken it out myself but the Common
wealth got hold of it and 1 was summoned
here. refused to have anything to do
with taking it out.
Here defendants counsel addressed
questions to witness intended to bring
out the names of those who gave the in
formation on which the warrant was TAX
en- out.
The Commonwealth g Attorney objected
to them and the court sustained the OBJ
lection. He said there was no way of sat-
lsfying the counsel for the defense On
Saturday evening before the Mayor, while
under the impression that the witness
Murphy had taken the initiative in get
ting out the warrant, they complainedthat
he had done it to strengthen his CASE
And now that they find that Murphy had
not given the information. they complain
that they can't know who did,
Mr.. Craig to witness.-Have you had
any conversation with Mr.. 2. II. 'FRONT.'
or Mr.. s. M. Wilkes?
Mr.. Brax5on to witness. DON'T answer